The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Dry sump lubrication systems are increasingly popular in both engines and transmissions. In dry sump systems, oil is stored in a sump that, unlike wet sump systems, is separate from the crankshaft and main bearings in an engine and from the gear sets and clutches in a transmission. After use in the engine or transmission, oil is pumped out by scavenger pumps acting through oil pick-ups appropriately placed in the device's underside and is returned to the main sump for recirculation. Unfortunately, not only is the typical lubrication system not sealed off from the environment but also oil and hydraulic fluids have a marked affinity for air. Consequently, air becomes entrained in the oil or hydraulic fluid. It has also been found that the more effective the scavenger pumps and oil pumps are, the greater the quantity of air entrained in the oil.
Since air does not lubricate engine or transmission components, nor does it provide cooling to such components, as effectively as oil, unless the air is removed, even though the requisite volume of oil is seemingly being provided to an engine or transmission to lubricate and cool the components, in fact, the lubrication and cooling will be insufficient. As a consequence, the expected service life of engine and transmission components may not be realized.
Clearly there are issues associated with dry sump lubrication systems and the present invention is directed to ameliorating one issue.